Fear, Affection, Protection
by G-AnakinRPG
Summary: Hope is hopeless. Lightning attempts to cheer him up, to her own consequence.


Author's Note: I have not played the game, but I have watched 90% of it on live streams. I can only hope that this short scene does this game justice. I do not speak Japanese.

Please excuse any canon errors. They should be minor if any.

I chose these two because they are my two favorite characters, and I could see a scene like this happening. I really do hope that this scene isn't in the game. That would be embarrassing.

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**Title:** Fear, Affection, Protection

**Setting:** Pulse. The party is resting, soon to enter the large tower.

**Summary:** Hope is hopeless. Lightning attempts to cheer him up, to her own consequence.

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Lightning awoke just as the dawning sun lit the landscape that she and most of her team rested upon. She was near the fire the team had made with Snow lying several meters away. Vanille rested on the other side of the fire, close to a stirring Hope.

Lightning pulled herself up to her knees in order to look for the other two. Sahz was behind her about thirty meters away and Fang was an equal distance in the opposite direction nearer the tower. It was the second shift, she and Snow having spent the first shift earlier that night. Vanille and Hope lucked out; Vanille was worn from fighting her eidolon, Hecatonchires, and Hope needed the extra sleep, being the weakest and a teenager that need all the sleep he could manage. It didn't hurt Hope that Fang was not entirely willing to trust him to protect them by himself.

Lightning grunted, knowing her sleep was over. Only four hours rest and she was already rising. It was chilly, and the fire was dimming. She shrugged off sleep and stood up. She picked up the last bit of the small pile of wood and delicately placed it into the fire, then released a small fire spell into the weakening fire. This would last the morning.

She heard a small rustling and saw Vanille groping empty air beside her.

Where did Hope go? Probably to find a tree or rock to pee behind.

Lightning walked a good twenty meters over to a ledge to be granted with a beautiful sight of nothing. Nothing was seen except for the fog that was seeping out of the pit below.

A little bit of a yellow was starting to fill the surroundings, the sun slowly climbing.

She heard the _zhhrmp_ of a rising zipper, immediately followed by Hope emerging from behind his rock. He smiled faintly upon seeing her, and came and sat near her, feet dangling over the edge.

Lightning sighed. She remembered Serah at Hope's age. He wanted attention. Something was bothering him. His mother was dead. The restless sleep. The feint smile. The silence.

She reached down and put her left hand on his shoulder. "What's wrong?" she asked.

He kicked his feet a little before answering. "I'm afraid," he said with shame. He raised a bare hand, pointing at Cocoon, the feint sphere enshrouded with fog in the distance. "How . . . are we going to get there? . . . Complete our focus?"

Lightning heard a slight whimper from the boy.

"If we don't . . ." he growled. "We'll be nothing more than those damned corpses!" He shouted, slamming his fist into the ground.

He quieted. "Then . . . then . . . we'll be nothing more than those monuments. Suffering for eternity . . . begging people in vain to complete our focus."

Lightning gripped his shoulder and huffed. "Hope, we'll be fine. In a couple of hours, we'll be in the tower. It's very advanced . . . compared to the rest of Pulse. I'm sure there will be a way to get to Cocoon. You don't have to worry about becoming a Corpse . . . or a Crystal. I will make sure of it." _I will make sure of it. Unlike . . ._

Hope looked up at her, smiled and nodded.

Lightning smiled and nodded in return. She turned away, not able to bear it. How would she keep her promise? How would they reach Cocoon? Escape death and fates worse? She didn't know, she couldn't know.

All she could do was be strong.

She heard a growl, then a yelp as she yanked Hope up by the back of his shirt as teeth replaced the location where Hope's legs once were, moments ago. Her sword was out and barrel pointed at the beast, a bullet flying down the throat of the monster. The howl of the beast weakened as it fell into the depths.

Hope looked up at her, smiling. He laughed. "Good thing you sleep with you blade!" He rushed forward and embraced her in a strong hug. "Thanks," Lightning heard, muffled into her clothing. "You're always helping me!"

She smiled, patting his hair. They laughed, separating.

She wrapped her right arm around his shoulders and they started back for camp.

No, she could do more than be strong. She can help others, comfort them.

"First," she says, "some survival tips. Never leave camp without your gloves or weapons." Hope nodded, smiling.

Morning was quickly approaching; at camp, Vanille and Snow were awaking, and Sahz and Fang were returning.

A new day had arrived.

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Please tell me what you think. This is my first one-shot, my first complete fic, and my first Final Fantasy story.

Thanks for reading!


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